Norbert wrote:
It shouldn't be too difficult to add some keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier.

Thanks. I think that these shortcuts will be useful not only for me...

Norbert wrote:
Maybe one of the already available command-line options can help you with this.
To disable all animations, use "apoplexy -s".
To disable only the chomp sound (in case it annoys you), use "apoplexy -q".

I haven't known about this option, probably because when I was watching instructional videos about apoplexy I wasn't focusing on command-line options...Because I thought these are some special options for IT specialists And I haven't know how to use these options... But now I think I know and I try and if I have got a problem, I'll write.

To make sure it's not a complete surprise when it arrives, I've made a teaser trailer for apoplexy v3.0.
It will allow its users to create PoP1 for SNES mods.
On the one hand, it will (deliberately) have less features than Pr1SnesLevEd.
On the other hand, people who are used to working with apoplexy will have to learn almost nothing new; it'll be very easy to use.

For those of you who are wondering: I started developing version 3.0 in July 2015.
Version 2.7 already contained some changes that were (will be) necessary for 3.0.

Norbert wrote:To make sure it's not a complete surprise when it arrives, I've made a teaser trailer for apoplexy v3.0.
It will allow its users to create PoP1 for SNES mods.

Interesting!

On the single screenshot in the video I see that:
* The starting room of level 1 says room 23 instead of 22, i.e. the editor numbers rooms from 1. It's for similarity with the DOS games, I guess?
* "d" will start the level in ZSNES.
* Since a SNES room is smaller than a DOS room, you added curtains to the unused space.

Will it use premade images of the tiles as for the DOS games?

Also, are you planning to make a special events document as for the DOS games?
I have been searching the disassembly for them thoroughly in the past few weeks, so I can help with that.

I generally try to avoid zero-based numbers for things that (non-technical) users interact with.
People also start at 1 when counting rooms in real life.
But, yeah, I also generally try to keep things consistent.

David wrote:Will it use premade images of the tiles as for the DOS games?

Partially.
There are simply too many possible block combinations to premake everything.

David wrote:Also, are you planning to make a special events document as for the DOS games?
I have been searching the disassembly for them thoroughly in the past few weeks, so I can help with that.

Well, the thought certainly crossed my mind. However, I don't have more information than what I could combine from Pr1SnesLevEd's readme.txt ("Tips from me: [...]") and the ROM hacking thread. While it's fancy that the special events document about PoP1 for DOS contains screenshots, it should be sufficient to include just the findings, as was done in the document about PoP2 special events. Unless you prefer me to do it - no problem - you could just go ahead and create the document. An easy way, which would also give it the same look as the other documents, would be to copy-paste the information into one of the ODT files (ODT example), change the title/date, and add just yourself in the credits section. LibreOffice can export to PDF, I usually make sure to pick lossless compression. Whichever you prefer. By the way, it's cool that you've been searching the disassembly for them.

There are several additional specific PoP1 for SNES screens.
You'll be able to check those yourself soon (December 13th).

One of the nice things that apoplexy does is that it automatically converts (lower right) tile corners where necessary.
People who have edited PoP1 for SNES levels in the past should understand what I mean.

Tiles screen:
* What do the buttons with R and C do?
* What is that under the 100% gate? The only object I don't see is the lava. Maybe it's that?
* Big potions: + = life, up-down = flip, skull = kill.
* I guess the potion with circle is the warp (see also the last screen), and so the one with X is the slow-fall?
* I see there are level doors (and teleports) with and without border.

Backgrounds screen:
* The numbers mean the animation groups?

Customize screen:
* The green circle is the destination for the warp potion?
* What is that long bar on the left side of the Save button? A progress bar, maybe?

Norbert wrote:
One of the nice things that apoplexy does is that it automatically converts (lower right) tile corners where necessary.

To start with "c", it allows for the modification of the prince's palettes.

As for "r"... As you know, there are more block combinations possible than just those that comprise the tiles on apoplexy's tiles screen. While apoplexy has a custom tiles screen, its usability is limited with PoP1 for SNES, because: a) the application uses premade images, and b) there is no overview of blocks. On top of that, the automatic conversion of tile corners only works if the application knows about a block's 'sister blocks'. Furthermore, I'm deliberately limiting certain build options to keep things easy to use. And, finally, I am of course limited by my own coding capabilities and energy, time, et cetera. I've thus been looking through other tile combinations and came to the conclusion that the vast majority of custom tiles only make sense in combination with others. For example, in the umber environment (brown dungeon), you would rarely use just the dragon head's nose - you'd use the entire dragon head. Similarly, in the silver environment (grey palace), it makes sense to use one or more full bridge arches - not just one of its pieces. Therefore "r" provides a screen with room templates, to replace entire rooms, that can then be customized further. An example is the room with the (red/blue) knight.

David wrote:The only object I don't see is the lava. Maybe it's that?

It is. To keep things consistent it's also on the tiles screen for the blue environment - not just with lava. (Similar to how the teleport marker is on all tiles screens, even though it's only usable in green environments.) It looks like a regular tile, walking over it is possible, but falling on it from any height means instant death.

David wrote:* I guess the potion with circle is the warp (see also the last screen), and so the one with X is the slow-fall?

Correct. The X is a bird/plane, although that's difficult to see on the tiles screen. Although, now that I've written that, you'll probably see it.

David wrote:* The numbers mean the animation groups?

Yes.

David wrote:* The green circle is the destination for the warp potion?

Yes.

David wrote:* What is that long bar on the left side of the Save button? A progress bar, maybe?

It is a status bar. To give an example: when the mouse cursor is on the area with the green circle, the status bar says: "Target destination of the warp potion."

David wrote:Is this [automatic conversion] what you mean?

It is. The tile that's being placed depends on what's under the current location. Also, the tile above the current location is being updated if necessary. Sometimes both need to happen. For example if a wall is being added underneath a floor and above a pillar.

I also noticed that, but decided it was okay.
On the PoP1 for DOS tiles screen, the difference between the small potions is also barely visible.
It's easy to find out (and remember) which one's which, and they are always at the same locations.
I do appreciate the/this kind of feedback though.

David wrote:But it's not really needed there, as the prince must fall 4 rows anyway before he reaches it.

Yes, it's weird.
I checked if maybe the sound effect is different, or the death animation, the screen flashing or anything else, but it's all the same.
Perhaps they originally planned to (also) use the lava differently.

Another short update.
I've finished the release candidate that will be released next Sunday, and I'm currently testing it.
Building some random levels with it, trying out various things.
Not just SNES levels, but also DOS levels, to make sure that the new SNES code didn't break the old DOS stuff.